HOW BROADBAND SPEEDS ARE BECOMING A PRIORITY IN THE HOUSE BUYING PROCESS

Dec 6, 2016

In an age of information, we’re now at the point where broadband holds the same amount of weight as home utilities such as gas, electricity and water. It has affected the buying process so much that speeds can have an impact on house prices. So whether you looking to sell or buy, you should be checked broadband speeds before moving.

In a survey carried out last month, Broadband Genie found that 28% of respondents would be willing to pay more for a home with fast internet access. And a study by ISPReview discovered that 71% would reject an otherwise ideal home if the broadband wasn’t quick enough.

How to check speeds and services

If you’re interested in a property and broadband is important to you, there are easy ways to check availability before committing.

Any provider can advise on broadband availability. Most have online checkers or you can ask for help over the phone. But of course an ISP (internet service provider) is only going to be interested in telling you about the services they offer, so you won’t get a complete picture.

A far better way to do it is by using the tools at a site likewww.SamKnows.com. Their availability checker provides data on all exchanges in the country, and can show exactly what is available to a particular address with no bias toward any provider or technology.

When checking broadband its best if you use both a phone number and postcode for the most accurate results. A postcode search alone can only provide rough data based on the nearest exchange and does not guarantee that a service is available to a specific address.

Broadband and selling a home

If your broadband is presently slow and you’re aiming to make it as attractive as possible to prospective buyers there’s a few things to check, and some options to consider.

First, make sure the broadband isn’t being impacted by something which can be easily fixed. Ask your ISP what speed you should be receiving – if the actual performance is far below this it can be pursued as a technical support issue. In addition to checking that your internal wiring is in good order and that everything is correctly configured, ISPs can run checks for faults on the line.

If it’s been some time since you last checked the availability, have a look using the tools mentioned above. Home buyers are increasingly likely to ask about broadband, so when selling a home it can be useful to have an idea of what services are available beyond the broadband you’re currently using. You can head off any queries and assuage doubts if they’re worried about speeds.

The majority of premises will now have access to at least ADSL, if not superfast fibre optic. However there are some areas where options are still very limited, especially in rural locations. Mobile coverage is one potential alternative – with a strong signal 3G or 4G signal it can provide excellent speeds. In the most remote locations there is always satellite broadband, which while more expensive to setup works just about anywhere and can exceed ADSL speeds.